Center for Food Integrity

The Center for Food Integrity (CFI) is an industry funded front group which states that it aims "to build consumer trust and confidence in the contemporary U.S. food system by sharing accurate, balanced information, correcting misinformation, modeling best practices and engaging stakeholders to address issues that are important to consumers."

The formation of the group was announced in March 2007. The domain name was registered on March 1, 2007 by Charlie Arnot, from the Kansas City, Missouri -based PR firm CMA Consulting. In 2006 Arnot also registered the domain name for Best Food Nation, a website launched to co-incide with the release of the film version of Eric Schlosser's book Fast Food Nation. CFI is reported to be the result of Best Food Nation and the Grow America Project (GAP). (The website address of GAP - www.growamericaproject.org - now resolves to the CFI website).

Joseph Mendelson, the Legal director for the Center for Food Safety (CFS), a bona-fide consumer group which which aims to end food industry practices that damage the environment and human health, believes CFI's name mimics his own organization's. "The name was obviously chosen to try to distract attention from groups like ours and to confuse consumers," he told FoodNavigator-USA.com. 

"My suspicion is that the food industry is concerned that more regulatory oversight is coming its way. This is a way for it to promote its agenda under a green wash label," he said. 

Personnel

 * Charlie Arnot
 * Jim Fallon
 * Terry Fleck

Supporters

 * American Egg Board
 * American Farm Bureau Federation
 * Countrymark Cooperative
 * Elanco Animal Health
 * Fair Oaks Dairy Farm
 * Indiana Packers Corporation
 * Indiana State Department of Agriculture
 * Maple Leaf Farms
 * Monsanto
 * National Cattlemen's Beef Association
 * National Chicken Council
 * National Council of Chain Restaurants
 * National Milk Producers Federation
 * National Pork Board
 * National Pork Producers Council
 * National Restaurant Association
 * National Turkey Federation
 * Produce Marketing Association
 * Purdue University
 * United Egg Producers
 * United Soybean Board

Contact details
Center for Food Integrity 7501 NW Tiffany Springs Parkway, Suite 200 Kansas City, MO 64153 Phone: 816-880-5360 Website: http://www.foodintegrity.org

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Best Food Nation
 * Brose McVey

CFI statements

 * Terry Fleck, "Introduction to the Center for Food Integrity", Email, March 14, 2007. (Pdf copy)

General articles

 * Lorraine Heller, "New industry body aims to quell consumer food fears", Food Navigator , March 20, 2007.
 * Ann Bagel Storck, "New Organization Aims To Boost Consumer Trust In U.S. Food System", CattleNetwork Today, March 20, 2007.